Ventuki Conglomerate
The Ventuki Conglomerate is the governing authority for the Vree race, based on their homeworld Vreetan. Government The foundation of power in Vree society was in its various guilds, the most powerful of which was the Merchant/Adventurers Guild, which was itself closely allied with the Scientists, the Smiths, and the Entertainers guilds. Each guild is lead by a Grandmaster who sits at either the High Council or the Low Council. Memberships in either council is determined exclusively by financial worth. Admittance into the High Council is given only to those Grandmasters whose guild has reached a specific net worth, otherwise they sit on the Low Council. By and large, the individual guilds do as they please, though major projects costing more than 30% of a guild's annual budget must be put before a High Council vote. However, for a guild to be overridden requires a two thirds vote and the Low Council can overturn the High Council decision when and only when the aggregate worth of the Low Council members in favour of overturning the decision is greater than the total worth of the sponsor in the High Council. While some guilds do maintain their own individual military forces (most notably the Merchant/Adventurers and the Mercenaries) they very rarely make war on another (the Great Trade War being a notable exception) as culturally war is perceived to be a sign of inferior craft and marketing techniques. Technology The Vree first developed interstellar travel around 1930 and their naturally competitive nature has helped propel their progress and development in most areas. By 2261, their level of technological advancement relative to other Alliance governments places them firmly within the mid range, a notable achievement for a race that had only been in space for some 300 years. Military As mentioned above, several of the various guilds maintain their own military forces, the largest and most powerful being the Merchant/Adventurers and the Mercenaries. Vree saucers are well known as powerful fighters and formidable heavy cruisers that have seen action in the Second Shadow War, the Earth Alliance Civil War and the Drakh War. Colonies The Vree have established three off-world colonies. * Photikar: Colony in a the Vree home system. * Deruzala: Colony in a the Vree home system. * Alzeral: Vree colony in a nearby system. History The Vree are known to have visited Earth on a routine survey at least as early as the mid 20th Century and are believed to be responsible for the rash of abduction stories of the time. Descriptions of their ships and physical forms from the era are uncannily accurate, despite the often less than credible sources.Eyes The cultural impact of this brief visit is something the Vree would later come to find wildly funny when they later make contact with the Earth Alliance. In the late 2220s, the Vree were one of the many races attacked during the Dilgar invasion of the non-aligned sectors and when the notorious Dilgar war criminal, War Master Jha'dur (better known as "Deathwalker") re-emerged in 2258, the Vree were among those to send ships to Babylon 5 to demand she be turned over to them. The Drazi and the Iksha made similar claims. After a diplomatic agreement was made the ships were eventually sent home, though the situation was rendered moot when the Vorlons destroyed her ship.Deathwalker (episode) As members of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds, the Vree sent representative to Babylon 5, though they were rarely, if ever present at council meetings. The Vree Guild of Merchant/Adventurers signed onto the Babylon Treaty in 2260 after the Babylon 5 station declared independence from the Earth Alliance and their military forces proved to be vital in the Second Shadow War and the later stages of the Earth Alliance Civil War.Shadow DancingBetween the Darkness and the LightEndgame The Merchant/Adventurers were also the ones to sign on to the Interstellar Alliance in late 2261 and in 2266 provided ships for the defence of Earth during the Drakh assault.A Call to ArmsWar Zone During the Centauri War of 2262, the Vree were declared neutral which allowed them to transport intermediaries during the conflict.Movements of Fire and Shadow References Other Sources * The Official Guide to Babylon 5 (CD ROM) * Babylon 5 Scripts - Other Voices: Vol 3 (Babylon 5 Alien Guide) Category:Interstellar Alliance Category:League of Non-Aligned Worlds